The Rose Nulman Park is a privately owned, publicly accessible park in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The property was purchased in 1993 and opened for public use as a park by Saul Nulman. He named the park in honor of his mother.
Situated at the very end of Rhode Island, Rose Nulman Park sits above the cliffs of the area, providing incredible views down and onto the ocean. Being set within walking distance of Point Judith Lighthouse, the history, space and scenery it contains are more than enough to attract audiences. However, none of these elements have been cultivated in a meaningful way.
Once a popular destination for surfers, picnickers, and tourists, Rose Nulman Park now features and overgrown memorial marker for Rose Nulman. A solitary flagpole with a small bench is the only other notable feature in the space.
Point Judith Lighthouse is located on what is now Point Judith Coast Guard Station, meaning a fence and restrictions that have made it inaccessible. This inaccessibility is unfortunate since the lighthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has been selected as one of the notable “New England Coastal Lighthouses.”
Wide open green spaces and massive parking areas showcase the potential the space Rose Nulman Park has to develop any number of features that could actively compel activity and engagement. These spaces could be organized in a way that doesn’t eliminate the openness of the park but instead connects people to it through features that mean something to the community and to visitors.
The proximity of nearby monuments like The Towers highlight the potential Rose Nulman Park has to created connected experiences all across Narragansett for both resident and tourists. Many parks intersperse their open spaces with notable and numerous monuments in a way that creates opportunities for audiences and stakeholders. Rose Nulman Park has the potential to do the same to become one of the most popular attractions in the region.
